Thread: *NEW* Esoteric N-05XD

Do you N05xd owners use the A/C cord provided in box or your fav?

I only have this N05xd for audition for possible purchase. Any help will be appreciated.

Someone said earlier the unit takes about 200 hours to fully break in, what did you experience? Although the unit has perfect control and detail I'm having a bit of a problem bonding with it.

Thanks. I don't know how many hours so far guessing 80 to 100. The DAC has loads more information than my current DAC but I'm still not finding it engaging, it's like technically outstanding but I'm not sensing any emotion. Also, no color or texture. I'm using the RDOT filter, "OFF" seems worse for the items I mention.

Originally Posted by kzhtoo

I’d guess it’s the break-in. Give it 300 or so hours just to be on the safe side. IME, it went from I didn’t quite like the sound to they may have over engineered this thing for the price.

Thanks Stu. I'm at around 125 hours or so and the DAC has improved already. It's like now the sound is more at ease and I'm getting more texture. It has started the seduction, LOL

If anyone stumbles across this thread as a buyer or potential buyer the break in is real.

Originally Posted by Mr Peabody

I'm at around 125 hours or so

The hours seem less than the date difference of your posts. Turn on repeat. Let it play 7x24.

Don't suppose you can disclose if Lumin have shipped any U2 modules to Esoteric? N-03T is due for replacement and I've got a hunch whatever it is will be built around U2.

Sorry I keep calling you Stu, that's what it sounds like when my screen reader tries to prnounce kzhtoo. I'm so used to hearing Stu that I forget the issue.

Originally Posted by kzhtoo

Glad to hear that. What a great word - seduction!

Next, a master clock. It doesn’t have to be top of the line from Esoteric, Cybershaft or Mutec. Any competent master clock will raise its performance.

Then, Altaira.

I did do that a couple days. I really didn't keep track of the hours, just a bad estimate.

Originally Posted by wklie

The hours seem less than the date difference of your posts. Turn on repeat. Let it play 7x24.

Originally Posted by Mr Peabody

Thanks. I don't know how many hours so far guessing 80 to 100. The DAC has loads more information than my current DAC but I'm still not finding it engaging, it's like technically outstanding but I'm not sensing any emotion. Also, no color or texture. I'm using the RDOT filter, "OFF" seems worse for the items I mention.

Have you tried changing cables to the Esoteric to see if that helps?

When I was reading the owner manual for the G05 hook up instructions it says to use a 50 or 75 ohm BNC cable. It seems to me it should be one or the other, isn't there a difference?

The 10MHz clock input on the N05xd is 50 Ohm:

Clock input
BNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Frequencies that can be input (±10 ppm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MHz
Input impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Ω

Page 36 of the owner's manual:
https://www.esoteric.jp/downloads/pr..._om_efs_vc.pdf

G-05 10MHz outputs are also 50Ohm (page 9 of the owner's manual):

https://www.esoteric.jp/downloads/pr..._om_efs_va.pdf

Clock outputs
Output frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MHz
Frequency precision. . . . . . . within ±0.01 ppm (when shipped new)
BNC connectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Output level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sine wave, 0.5 ±0.1 Vrms/50 Ω

Use 50Ohm BNC cable.

Personally, I would go with Mutec REF 10 - a much better clock for less money (or Mutec REF 10 Limited 120 for a bit more).

I did know the in/outs were 50 ohm it just confused me when the G05 manual mentioned either could be used. 50 it is though.

You mentioned the Mutec was better however the G05 is just out, I don't think even available yet in U.S. Have you experienced the G05?

Originally Posted by Elberoth

The 10MHz clock input on the N05xd is 50 Ohm:

Clock input
BNC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Frequencies that can be input (±10 ppm) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MHz
Input impedance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Ω

Page 36 of the owner's manual:
https://www.esoteric.jp/downloads/pr..._om_efs_vc.pdf

G-05 10MHz outputs are also 50Ohm (page 9 of the owner's manual):

https://www.esoteric.jp/downloads/pr..._om_efs_va.pdf

Clock outputs
Output frequency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MHz
Frequency precision. . . . . . . within ±0.01 ppm (when shipped new)
BNC connectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Output level. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . sine wave, 0.5 ±0.1 Vrms/50 Ω

Use 50Ohm BNC cable.

Personally, I would go with Mutec REF 10 - a much better clock for less money (or Mutec REF 10 Limited 120 for a bit more).

Mr. Peabody: The manual may state that, however, if an input is designated as 50-ohm in the specs as is the case here, then the only right move is to use a cable rated for that spec. There are some who would declare they are interchangeable, though in truth, careful listening and testing shows they are not. Even the connectors for 50 and 75 ohm are slightly different from each other.

Another great clock option is a Cybershaft OP21.

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Esoteric Network Firmware 17 and associated app updates support Tidal MAX Hi-Res FLAC via both native apps (require re-login) and Tidal app Tidal Connect (N-XD series and N-03T).

Originally Posted by SCAudiophile

.. Even the connectors for 50 and 75 ohm are slightly different from each other.

The only difference between a 50 ohm and 75 ohm is the connector. The cable is identical. I'm pretty sure the boffins at Shunyata said that.

No, and no.

I would add if your friend was not using a section of the N05xd the networking and preamp section can be turned off. In my case I just use the DAC section and this is how I configured mine.

Originally Posted by Jambo

Hello All,

A friend recently bought the N-05XD, he just had a query after checking/reading the user manual.

He wanted to know if it is possible to:

1) disable unused inputs
2) edit the names of the existing inputs

Thanks in Advance of any suggestions/help.